A Michelin-cred chef is serving French food inside a Santa Cruz bookstore, where Bad Animal mixes a restaurant, wine bar, and bookshop. Nick Hahn had never worked in a restaurant or had culinary training eight years ago, but he later cooked at Nobu in Chicago and n/naka in Los Angeles. He is now the executive chef at Bad Animal, and he has helmed the kitchen there since January. The space specializes in used and rare books, natural wines, and a menu inspired by a Santa Cruz take on a modern Parisian bistro. Hahn first got into restaurants through a stage at Kitsune in Chicago, then moved on to Proxi, where he worked in a casual setting with high standards. He later helped open Nobu’s Chicago location and then came to California’s Central Coast after his partner enrolled at UC Santa Cruz. A meal at Bad Animal led to a brief turn at Mentone before he returned to Santa Cruz and joined the venue again in 2026. Bad Animal originally launched in spring 2019 as a hybrid concept from Andrew Sivak and Jess MacKay, who wanted to blend books, wine, and food. The restaurant later paused during the pandemic, then returned with residency chefs including Katherine Stern and Lalita Kaewsawang’s Hanloh Thai Food. Bad Animal then went back to its bistro roots, with Hahn leading the kitchen and aiming for warmth instead of formality. Menu standouts include gougères, artichoke and maitake crostini, miso cod, and chicken schnitzel, with dishes sourced from local farms and seafood suppliers. Bad Animal also sells books and wine side by side, and its 12,000 titles include items ranging from a few dollars to a rare Shakespeare set near $40,000.
Dining and Cooking